List of terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa

This is a list of terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa. While submarine communications cables are used to connect countries and continents to the Internet, terrestrial fibre optic cables are used to extend this connectivity to landlocked countries or to urban centers within a country that has submarine cable access. In most of the world, a large number of such cables exist, often amounting to robust Internet backbones. The lack of such high-speed cables poses a great problem for most African countries. The construction of both submarine cables and their terrestrial extensions is thus considered an important step to economic growth and development to many African countries.

Countries Algeria Operator Started Notes Ref Algérie Télécom 2011 About of fiber optic cables had been deployed as of December 31, 2021. Angola Operator Started Notes Ref Africell 2022 Angola Telecom 1996 Unitel 2014 Zap Fibra 2017

Benin Operator Started Notes Ref Benin Telecoms 2016 Liquid Telecom 2018 Phase3 Telecom 2009 Suburban Telecoms 2007

Botswana Operator Started Notes Ref Botswana Fibre Networks 2012 Completed the Trans-Kalahari Fibre Optic Project in 2008. Mascom 2013 In 2018, Mascom announced they would be laying Botswana's "first fibre-to-the-home service." Paratus Botswana

Burkina Faso Operator Started Notes Ref Bharti Airtel Group Vivendi Africa 2021 Onatel 2020 State-run Orange S.A. 2021

Burundi Operator Started Notes Ref Burundi Backbone Service Burundi launched an ICT backbone in 2016. Viettel/Lumitel Onatel Burundi Website content offline as of 5/24/2018 SEACOM

Cameroon Operator Started Notes Ref MTN Group Camtel State-owned

Chad Operator Started Notes Ref Camtel 2012 SudaChad Sudatel

Cote d'Ivoire Operator Started Notes Ref Cote d'Ivoire Telecom MTN Group Cote d'Ivoire National Agency for Universal Service Telecommunications 2013 In 2013, Huawei began building a 6,700 km national fibre network on behalf of the government. Orange S.A. Cote d'Ivoire

Democratic Republic of Congo Operator Started Notes Ref Liquid Telecom Paratus Group 2022

Djibouti Operator Started Notes Ref Djibouti Telecom 2007 Government-run SEACOM

Egypt Operator Started Notes Ref Sudatel Telecom Egypt

eSwatini Operator Started Notes Ref MTN Group eSwatini Paratus Telecom

Ethiopia

Operator Started Notes Ref Ethio telecom

Gambia Operator Started Notes Ref Gamtel 2010

Ghana

Operator Started Notes Ref AirtelTigo 2017 Merger of Tigo and Bharti Airtel Expresso Telecom Ghana MTN Ghana National Communications Backbone Company NCBC is a subsidiary of Vodafone Ghana. Orange S.A. Tigo Merged with Bharti Airtel in 2017 to become AirtelTigo.

Guinea Operator Started Notes Ref Orange S.A.

Kenya

Operator Started Notes Ref AccessKenya Group Airtel Kenya Jamii Telecom Kenya Data Networks Kenya Power National Optical Fibre Backbone Infrastructure Safaricom SEACOM Telkom Kenya

Liberia Operator Started Notes Ref Orange S.A.

Madagascar Operator Started Notes Ref Telecom Malagasy (Telma)

Malawi Operator Started Notes Ref Malawi Telecommunications MTL appears to have completed its domestic fibre optic network in early 2012. Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi

Mali Operator Started Notes Ref Gouvernement du Mali In 2011, the Malian government announced a 942 km fibre optic cable project linking Bamako-Gao-Kidal-Tin-Zaoutière to the Algerian border and Gap-Ansongo-Labezanga to the border of Niger. The project was funded by a $45 million loan from the Exim Bank of China. Orange S.A. Sotelma/Malitel

Mauritania Operator Started Notes Ref Mauritel In May 2011, Mauritel launched a fiber optic cable project linking the towns of Nouakchott and Kobonni.

Morocco Operator Started Notes Ref Maroc Telecom 60% of regional fibre network completed in 2010.

Mozambique Operator Started Notes Ref Telecomunicações de Moçambique

Namibia Operator Started Notes Ref NamPower Paratus Africa Various fiber projects deployed since 2011. Full FTTx deployment in various towns. Cross-country backhaul fiber from WACS (West Africa Cable Landing Station) through Namibia connecting various land-locked countries around Namibia. Telecom Namibia

Niger Operator Started Notes Ref SONITEL

Nigeria Operator Started Notes Ref 21st Century Technology Globacom MTN Group Nigeria Multi-Links Purchased by Helios in 2011; at this time, Multi-Links had a terrestrial fibre optic network spanning 8,232 km in Nigeria. NITEL Orange S.A. Phase3 Telecom In 2011, Phase3 were building the West Africa One network, an aerial optic fibre transmission system which runs from Nigeria to Benin and Togo. Suburban TelecomsBackbone Connectivity Network (Nig) Limited has built over 5,000 km of fiber optic networks in Northern Nigeria, comprising metropolitan fiber networks and long distance backbone networks especially in Abuja and North West Nigeria. it is the largest broadband connectivity operator providing high capacity internet services, data transmission services and solutions and access to all the data centres in Nigeria. it is currently expanding its footprint to cover the whole country. lt

Rwanda Operator Started Notes Ref Green Future 2009 MTN Group Rwanda Rwanda Development Board The physical deployment of the RDB's network was completed in January 2011. Rwandatel SEACOM Partnered with KT Corporation

Senegal

Operator Started Notes Ref Orange S.A. Sonatel

Somalia

Operator Started Notes Ref Hormuud Telecom/Liquid Telecom 2013 SEACOM SomCable Licensed with 25 years of exclusivity for Metro and Backbone fiber optic infrastructure building.

South Africa Operator Started Notes Ref Broadband Infraco Broadband Infraco is a South African State Owned Entity (SOE) that is intended to participate in those segments of the telecommunications market and value chain that impede private sector development and innovation in telecoms services and content offerings. Broadband Infraco maintains a national long distance fibre optic network, providing high capacity telecommunication services between all major national metropolitan centres and being expanded to enable connectivity to reach smaller cities and rural areas. BWired Announced in August 2011, BWired invested $600 million in regional fibre infrastructure. Dark Fibre Africa Community Investment Ventures (CIV) and VenFin are the principal shareholders in DFA. ABSA Capital, who are a stakeholder in CIV via New GX Capital Holdings, also backs CIV. Shareholders in Dark Fibre Africa have granted the necessary approvals to adequately capitalize the company for the construction of a nationwide Dark Fibre Infrastructure. This funding exceeded R2Bn by 2013. Fibreco 2012 Established in 2009 as an equal partnership between CellC, Internet Solutions and Convergence Partners. Neotel NLD Consortium A consortium made up of Neotel, MTN Group, and Vodacom deployed a national fibre network in South Africa in 2012. Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa In 2013, PRASA announced plans to lease excess fibre capacity. Telkom Telkom is the dominant operator and has the largest fibre network in South Africa, covering approximately 143,000 km as per the 2011 annual report.

South Sudan Operator Started Notes Ref South Sudanese Government 2013 SEACOM

Sudan Operator Started Notes Ref Sudatel

Tanzania

Operator Started Notes Ref Consortium A consortium of TIGO, Zantel, Vodacom, and Airtel. CTV Fiber to the building, mainly in Dar es Salaam. National Information & Communication Technology Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) 2010 Funded by a soft loan from the Chinese government, the NICTBB is being built by the Tanzanian government and will be operated by the Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation Raha/Liquid Telecom Metro fiber - Dar es Salaam. SEACOM SimbaNET Metro fiber - Dar es Salaam. TANESCO

Togo Operator Started Notes Ref Phase3 Telecom 2009 Togo Telecom

Uganda

Operator Started Notes Ref Ministry of Information and Communications Technology/National Information Technology Authority-Uganda SEACOM 2009 Uganda Telecom

Zambia

Operator Started Notes Ref Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) 2008 Zambia Telecommunications ZESCO

Zimbabwe Operator Started Notes Ref Africom Dark Fibre Africa 2019 Liquid Telecom Powertel Telecel Zimbabwe 2014 TelOne 2010 Built with Chinese workers via Huawei.

Notes This list was initially developed as part of AfTerFibre, a project to map terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa. The project was sponsored by Google Africa and, on completion, will be hosted by the UbuntuNet Alliance. All information gathered by the project will be publicly available under an open license.

List of terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa

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